TRANSPORTATION 

O P E R AT I O N S 

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Turner-Fairbank Highway 

Research Center

FALL 2015 UPDATE

Saxton Lab Demonstrates Multivehicle 

Platooning with CACC

In early September, a team of transportation 

experts, researchers, and engineers successfully 

demonstrated a five vehicle platoon test on an 

inactive naval air base in Willow Grove, PA. The 

team included personnel from the Federal Highway 

Administration’s (FHWA) Saxton Transportation 

Operations Laboratory, Leidos, TORC Robotics, and 

California Partners for Advanced Transportation 

Technology. To demonstrate platooning and 

expand on current connected vehicle research, 

the team spent 2 weeks at the base testing a fleet 

of Cadillacs equipped with Cooperative Adaptive 

Cruise Control (CACC).

An extension of adaptive cruise control, CACC 

enables vehicles to communicate and respond to one another in a proactive 

manner. CACC eliminates lag time between vehicle communications (such as 

reaction time by human drivers or time required by radar-sensing vehicles) which 

may prevent collisions that are caused by delays in reaction times after sudden 

braking or stopping. Using dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), vehicles 

are able to maintain constant speed and distance with the vehicle in front of them 

and surrounding vehicles. They have the ability to communicate their speed and at 

what point they decelerate, allowing other CACC capable vehicles to follow suit and 

avoid staggered stopping or delayed braking.

After 2 weeks of testing and coding various algorithms, 

the team successfully demonstrated different CACC 

platooning maneuvers with the vehicle fleet using 

DSRC for communication between the cars. One 

of the maneuvers included a demonstration of the 

third vehicle pulling out of line and rejoining in the 

rear while the fourth and fifth vehicle closed the gap 

caused by the absent third vehicle. The cars accelerated 

and decelerated based on fixed headway settings, 

maintaining a precise distance – even coming to a 

complete stop in unison. This groundbreaking research could be a future solution 

to congestion and roadway safety as it can prevent unnecessary accelerating and 

decelerating and establishes safe and constant speeds with other vehicles. 

FHWA Associate Administrator 

Michael Trentacoste who directs 

the Turner-Fairbank Highway 

Research Center (TFHRC) and 

Joseph Peters who directs FHWA’s 

Office of Operations Research 

and Development visited the test 

site and observed the research. After taking a tour of the base, they watched the 

vehicles from a distance and then rode in them during the demonstrations. They 

were also interviewed on the project site for a short video that is being produced 

on this groundbreaking research. The video, which is expected to be available in a 

few weeks, will feature the CACC tests conducted in Willow Grove. 

The Cadillac fleet running test maneuvers 

on the runway in Willow Grove, PA.

The green and yellow lights on the test 

vehicles indicate communication and 

connectivity between the cars. 

The above figure shows a rear view of the Cadillac fleet as they 

platoon on the runway.
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TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

The Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory has 

been working on this research for the past year and 

will continue to develop CACC methods and conduct 

additional connected vehicle research. The lab plans 

to use its test vehicles for more demonstrations and 

to collect additional data on CACC as to determine its 

feasibility for future commercial deployment. 

For more information, contact Taylor Lochrane at taylor.

lochrane@dot.gov

WEB-BASED TOOL HELPS EVALUATE BENEFITS AND COSTS OF TRAFFIC 

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Traffic incidents contribute significantly to service 

level deterioration of both freeways and arterials. 

Traffic Incident Management (TIM) programs have 

been introduced worldwide with the aim of mitigating 

the impact of traffic incidents on safety and roadway 

performance. These programs support quick incident 

response, thereby shortening incident duration. They also 

aim to control traffic demand around the incident scene. 

As some TIM programs can be costly to taxpayers, it is 

important to evaluate their benefits and determine the 

associated return on investment. 

The research team at TFHRC, led 

by FHWA’s Taylor Lochrane and 

Leidos’ Jiaqi Ma, has developed a 

TIM-Benefit-Cost (B/C) tool with 

standardized methodology, which 

can be universally and equitably 

employed to estimate B/C ratios 

for different TIM strategies. The 

tool advances consistency and 

therefore a greater confidence in 

the validity of results. With access 

to the methodology in the form of 

an easy to use, less data intensive 

tool, TIM programs and taxpayers 

alike can benefit from costeffective evaluations. 

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The tool consists of eight different subtools that can 

evaluate different TIM strategies, shown in the screenshot 

below. The eight tools include safety service patrol (SSP), 

driver removal laws, authority removal laws, shared 

quick clearance goals, pre-established towing service 

agreements, dispatch collocation, TIM Task Forces, and 

Second Strategic Highway Research Program training.

A key user interface of one subtool, SSP-B/C, for evaluating 

safety service patrol, is shown below. In addition to basic 

SSP program information (such as location, number of 

vehicles, and required staff), the user can input information 

on roadway geometry, the SSP program, traffic, weather, 

and incidents. The tool can also automatically generate 

an evaluation report that is professionally designed for an 

effective presentation of evaluation results. 

This Web-based tool offers helpful benefit and cost evaluation 

for transportation agencies. It can help agencies avoid 

inefficient and costly TIM strategies and could be useful in 

mitigating lengthy delays and traffic incidents on the roadway. 

For more information, contact Taylor Lochrane at taylor.

lochrane@dot.gov or Paul Jodoin at paul.jodoin@dot.gov.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Transportation Research Board’s 95th Annual Meeting

Research team members from FHWA’s Office of Research and Development will participate in the Transportation Research 

Board’s (TRB) 95th Annual Meeting, which will be held January 10–14, 2016 in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme is 

“Research Convergence for a Multimodal Future.” The team will present current and future research projects and showcase 

a vehicle from the research fleet involved in the successful CACC platooning demonstration that took place in Pennsylvania 

this past September. The team will also play a video of the demonstration highlighting the multivehicle test maneuvers.

For more information about the event, visit www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting/AnnualMeeting.aspx.

The figure above shows a screenshot of the TIM-BC navigation page with panels linking to all eight sub-tools.
TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

BREAKING GROUND ON THE NEW COOPERATIVE VEHICLE HIGHWAY 

TESTBED AT TFHRC

In October, construction will begin to upgrade the Cooperative Vehicle Highway Testbed (CVHT) located at TFHRC. 

This project was established through an IAA between 

TFHRC and the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division 

(EFLHD) of FHWA. It was selected as an FHWA strategic 

initiative and involves modifying the existing CVHT infrastructure at TFHRC. Specifically, it will entail creating a 

fully integrated, connected vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure testbed to support researching involving communications between vehicles, pedestrians, 

and roadway features. The intersection will be equipped 

with standard pedestrian signal heads and accessible push buttons, as well as Americans with Disabilities 

Act-compliant curb ramps and landings. Also included 

will be state-of-the-art technologies, such as wireless 

solutions (i.e., DSRC and Wireless Fidelity). 

Research from the Office of Infrastructure involving pavement sensors, a test section of concrete sidewalk, and a 

test section of concrete pavers is also integrated into this 

project. The work includes creating new asphalt roadways, 

the realignment of existing roadways, asphalt pavement 

widening, improving an existing signalized intersection, 

installing underground conduit and pull boxes, marking 

the pavement, constructing pedestrian sidewalks, and 

other tasks. In the spring of 2016, the Office of Safety is 

planning to test pedestrian safety applications using V2I 

technologies. EFLHD will complete the design and administer the construction of this project.

RECENT OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PUBLICATIONS:

FHWA’s Joe Bared, together with Christopher Melson 

and Cory Krause, published a research paper in the 

June edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers 

Journal regarding an alternative freeway interchange 

that reduces congestion and emphasizes land savings. 

The article features recent research conducted to reduce 

land use and improve mobility, performance, and safety 

on freeway interchanges. While the physical ability and 

funding available to make changes on already existing 

freeways is quite challenging, Melson, Krause, and 

Bared have shown that nontraditional design concepts 

can provide efficient means of transportation without 

sacrificing performance. The published study presents an 

all-directional system interchange, called the one-sided 

interchange that intends to do just that.

The one-sided interchange is unique in that it utilizes the 

lack of right-of-way to enhance uninterrupted traffic flow. 

The interchange is intended to be space efficient with 

speed-constrained loops, allowing for more movement 

within a smaller location. As shown in the figure below, 

the interchange is designed with full access control for 

all turning movements. Compared to the full clover-leaf 

interchange design, the one-sided interchange design 

requires a smaller footprint. 

Using microsimulation software and CADD, the 

interchange was analyzed for efficiency, throughput, 

and safety. While results of the microsimulation outputs 

showed similar performance to an equivalent clover-leaf 

interchange in terms of delay and throughput, further 

research needs to be done on the feasibility and financial 

requirements of the one-sided interchange. Additional 

studies are currently underway and will be presented in 

future publications. 

Recent Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center Visits/Tours

• Belarus Ministry of Transport and Communications

• Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division—Professional Development Program

• Federal Transit Administration Tour (Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative Collaboration)

• The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Summer Transportation Institute Program

• Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups

• Howard University Summer Transportation Institute (HUSTI) Program

• FHWA Resource Center

• White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OST-P) 

• Department of Energy

The figure above shows an example illustration of a one-sided interchange.
TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

USDOT VIDEO SUBMITTAL TO BE CONSIDERED FOR SOUTH BY 

SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

FHWA’s Mohammed Yousuf submitted a video for 

consideration to be featured at next year’s South by 

Southwest conference, which will take place in March 

2016. The event will feature innovative tech ideas in 

the music, film, and interactive technology industries 

and encourage the development of new and creative 

research concepts through technology. The video 

submitted by Mohammed features the importance of 

accessible transportation in society and how connected 

vehicles are improving mobility for travelers who may be 

disabled or require assistance getting from one place to 

another. If the video is chosen by the panel, it will give 

the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) a chance 

to talk about the importance of accessible transportation 

technologies and its future applications The conference 

would provide a great opportunity to highlight the 

Accessible Transportation Technologies Research

Initiative and educate a vast audience on ongoing and 

future technologies currently being developed to improve 

accessible transportation concepts. The judgement panel 

is scheduled to make selections in October 2015.

For more information, contact Mohammed Yousuf at 

Mohammed.Yousuf@dot.gov. 

SAXTON LAB HOSTS FHWA STUDENTS FOR A SUMMER 

TRANSPORTATION MINICAMP 

Approximately 18 students, all children of FHWA 

employees, spent a day at the TFHRC this summer 

learning about transportation and the benefits of 

connected vehicles. The minicamp, which consisted of 

two 3-hour sessions, allowed the students to learn about 

the technologies and research projects taking place at the 

facility in an interactive, hands-on manner. In addition to 

tours of various labs and garages, the students watched 

live demos with balloon cars and learned about vehicle 

automation. They also observed simulations of traffic 

signals and learned how the test vehicles are able to 

communicate with the intersection. 

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JOE PETERS RETIRES 

After a 43-year career working for academia, the private 

sector, and Federal Government, Dr. Joseph I. Peters, Director 

of FHWA’s Office of Operations Research and Development, 

retired from Federal service in October 2015. Joe’s entire 

career was devoted to the fields of systems research, 

development, test, and evaluation, and ended where it 

began, at what is now the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research 

Center (TFHRC). 

As a graduate student at the Catholic University of America 

(CUA), Joe assisted professors with research supporting 

the Office of Naval Research (currently FHWA’s Office of 

Research and Advanced Technology). Joe’s interests in 

traffic operations and driver behavior led to his achieving 

an M.A. in Human Factors Psychology (1974) and a Ph.D. 

in Applied Experimental Psychology (1977), both from 

CUA. From there, he became a researcher with the U.S. 

Army and then a research and development manager 

with the U.S. Air Force. He left the Air Force for an 11-

year career with a government consulting company. He 

then returned to FHWA and worked for 12 years in the 

Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office. 

In 2007, he was honored to be accepted into the Senior 

Executive Service as Director of the Office of Operations 

Research and Development at TFHRC. In this capacity, 

Joe’s most notable work has been in the establishment 

of TFHRC’s Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory 

and its efforts to develop connected automation 

technologies and applications for vastly increasing 

the efficiency of the Nation’s transportation system. 

The work is aimed at reducing congestion, crashes and 

fuel use while helping to sustain the environment. We 

congratulate Joe for his immense accomplishments in 

the transportation industry and wish him the best in his 

future endeavors. 

Dr. Joseph I. Peters (left) receiving his retirement commemoration award from 

FHWA Executive Director Jeff Paniati. 

Publication No. FHWA-HRT-16-015

HRDO-1/11-15(300)E